Environmental Ethics
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| PHIL3013 | Philosophy | 3 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- PHIL3013
- School
- Philosophy
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
Environmental ethics addresses the issue of how human beings should interact with the non-human natural world. This module will cover a range of topics from contemporary philosophical literature on environmental ethics. Representative topics include: the scope of moral concern (i.e. whether and how our moral theory should concern itself with animals, plants, rocks, ecosystems); whether nature is intrinsically valuable, or whether it possesses value only by being valuable to us; whether it is reasonable to search for just one overarching ‘environmental ethic’ (i.e. the debate between monism and pluralism in ethics); the metaphysics, ethics and politics of the ‘deep ecology’ movement; whether there is any connection between the twin oppressions of women and nature (as ecofeminists claim); the ethics of zoos; the nature of sustainability; ethical issues relating to climate change; the ethics of restoring nature after it has been damaged by human development; whether there are any distinct environmental virtues.
For some useful background reading see: A. Light & H. Rolston III (eds.) Environmental Ethics: An Anthology (Blackwell 2003), OR: R. Keller (ed.) Environmental Ethics: The Big Questions (Blackwell 2010). Those wanting a better idea of the nature of the topics covered can consult these. There is no particular prerequisite for this module, but it will assume some background knowledge of well-known philosophical theories of ethics (such as consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics).
Target Students
Third year single honours and joint honours Philosophy students. Also available to Liberal Arts students in their final year who have completed either PHIL1012 or PHIL1013. Also available to exchange students.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 45% Coursework 1: One 2,250 word essay
- 50% Coursework 2: One 2,500 word essay.
- 5% Reading Summaries: reading summaries
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to provide students with a detailed and connected understanding of the main questions and theories in Environmental Ethics. It will encourage application of the analytic and problem-solving methods of philosophy to real-world problems of human interaction with the environment.Learning Outcomes
A. Knowledge and Understanding.
By the end of this module you should be able to understand, and demonstrate a clear grasp of, the main positions in the philosophical debates covered by the module.
B. Intellectual skills.
By the end of this module you should be able to:
- B1. Identify the underlying issues in the debates discussed.
- B2. Analyse the structure of complex and controversial problems, with an understanding of major strategies of reasoning designed to solve such problems.
- B3. Read carefully and interpret texts drawn from a variety of sources, with sensitivity to context.
- B4. Abstract, analyse and construct logical arguments, employing techniques of formal and informal methods of reasoning as appropriate, together with an ability to recognise any relevant fallacies.
- B5. Recognise and judge for yourself the strengths and weaknesses of arguments on both sides of each philosophical issue.
C. Practical Skills.
By the end of this module you should be able to
- C1. Identify textually-based arguments and subject their structure and implications to rigorous assessment.
- C2. Understand any relevant specialist philosophical terminology and be able to use it properly.
- C3. Review unfamiliar ideas with an open mind and a willingness to change one’s mind when appropriate.
D. Transferable skills.
By the end of this module you should be able to
- D1. Express views on (abstract) issues clearly and concisely in writing.
- D2. Participate effectively and appropriately in constructive debate on relevant issues.
- D3. Work autonomously and manage one’s own work to time limits.
- D4. Marshal a complex body of information, construct cogent arguments in the evaluation of this material, and present a clear and well-structured assessment of relevant considerations, both in writing and in conversation.
- D5. Think creatively, self-critically and independently about new and unfamiliar problems.